Victory

Last Saturday morning our church came to a notable victory. For almost a year and a half we had been wrestling with the question of how we make decisions as a group. We have prayed, counseled together, searched the Scriptures, and finally come to consensus with elder guided consensus. We have written out a short set of guidelines. While the process took a long time, the resultant trust, peace and depth of relationship is worth it. We are under the Lordship of Christ, with plurality of eldership, and participation of anyone else who wishes to do so. ( This probably can only work with small groups) We believe that all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and can hear from God. We are aiming for complete consensus but have the fallback position that if we can't come to that over time, then the elders can make the decision. We did not attempt to cover every possible contingency in our guidelines but are relying on the Holy Spirit, and the trust that He has developed among us to work things out in love. Time will tell how practical this is; we believe we are within Biblical boundaries.
Sunday at our celebration gathering God blessed us with a wonderful blend of people from different parts of the Body of Christ. Our brother Steve from Maine shared on the theme of leadership, and many have testified of the impact on their lives already. We are thankful to God for this opportunity to serve and give as a group.